“According to statistics from Migration Colombia, the United States remains in first place for arrivals and departures. Between January and July of 2015, 719,620 Colombians went to the US, accounting for 30.5% of all international destinations, representing 12.7% growth over the same period the year before,” said ANATO’s president, Paula Cortés Calle.

ANATO President Paula Cortés Calle

Latin American countries also were important destinations for Colombian visitors. “In times when the dollar is high, traveling within Latin America is a good option, as other countries are also experiencing devalued currencies. Travel agencies also have plans and packages to countries in Central and South America at very good prices,” said Cortés.

After the US, between January and July, the countries most visited by Colombians were Venezuela, that even with 13.4% of visits, saw a decline of 0.9%, Panamá, Ecuador, México, and Perú. When it came to visitors to Colombia, in second place behind the US was Venezuela, which saw an increase of 29% in Venezuelans traveling to Colombia, followed by México, Argentina, Ecuador, Brasil, and Perú.

Said Cortés, “Tourism has passed from third to the second most important generator of foreign reserves for Colombia, passing coffee, flowers, and banana sales. In times when the whole world economy is suffering signs of deceleration, we need to take advantage of those areas that grow more than others. Tourism provided 5.9% in national GDP and has become one of the primary economic engines of Colombia. We need to take advantage of this good moment for this sector and achieve more trips, and more top quality destinations.”

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About the Author

Loren Moss is the founder and publisher of Finance Colombia. He has over 20 years of international business experience, including over a decade of experience in securities, insurance, and commercial real estate, at the institutional and international level.